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“Annie,” Nick began, breathless. “You have no idea how much I’ve dreamed of this. You. Here.” Nick shook his head in awe and ran a hand across his stubbled chin. Annie was desperate to feel that stubble across her body. She dug her fingers into his upper arms and pulled him on top of her, ready to succumb right there with the weight of his body putting pressure and heat in all the places that were begging for it, aching for closeness.

Annie kissed Nick’s neck until she reached his Adam’s apple and sucked it into her mouth. Nick groaned at the sudden suction and his fingers tightened around her hair, his other hand hungrily trying to unbutton her flannel. Annie, impatient, ripped it open, mismatched buttons be damned.

Nick froze, gazing at her freed, braless breasts. After a moment, he looked back at Annie’s face. “This is the stuff of dreams,” he said, returning to worship her body, like he wanted to memorize every inch of it.

Annie traced a hand down his jaw, running her thumb across his bottom lip, parting his mouth open. His teeth nipped at her and she grabbed his face, inviting his tongue to find hers.

Nick quickly stood back up and removed his pants, presenting himself to her. He was naked, ready and wanting, awaiting her direction. Annie arched her back into the mattress, unsure how much more suspense she could take, then let out an impatient moan. Nick laughed, gently lowering himself back on top of her, and she kissed him with urgency.

“I want to do all the foreplay and sexy other stuff at some point very soon, but I swear Nick, if you don’t get inside me right now, I may die.”

“Should I get a condom?” Nick asked, nervously glancing around the room, seeming unsure if he even had one.

“I’m on birth control, and I’ve been recently tested, I’m clean,” Annie said, urging him back to her.

“Me too,” Nick said.

“Come on then, hurry,” Annie whined. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”

“I want you so badly,” Nick said, his tongue exploring her neck.

“Show me,” Annie whimpered.

Nick pulled her hair with a little more force. He wrapped a thumb in the waistband of her underwear, and Annie, concerned her legs might give out in anticipation, helped pull them off, kicking them to the floor. Wrapping her limbs around him, Annie repositioned their bodies so that she was now on top of him, her legs spread open across his thighs, and lowered herself onto him, using a hand to guide him deeper inside her. The pleasure was immediate, Annie exploring how much closer they could get before she moved her hips to ride him.

“Annie,” Nick gasped. “I’m not going to last long like this.” Annie agreed as she started moving faster, up and down, each plunge taking her deliciously closer to the peak. As he thrust, she clenched tightly around him, her nails marking his shoulder blades until her muscles seized. Annie cried out first, a satisfied scream reverberating from deep in the back of her throat and bouncing off the wall. The sensation of mind-numbing waves violently crashing inside her, ready and willing to drown among them. Nick succumbed second, once he was confident she had her moment, in a quick rush, his own deep bellow escaping from the well within.

Breathless, Annie inched him out of her as Nick shuddered, still fresh from his own moment. She put her head on his chest, pulling the blanket they had just defiled over their naked, shivering bodies.

“I can’t wait to do that again. And again. And again,” Annie said, snuggling into his chest, her body still humming. Nick wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in so he could be the big spoon.

“I can’t wait for this part too,” Nick said into her hair, referring to the cuddling. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to leave this bed.”

“I am starving, though,” Annie told him. Nick groaned and squeezed her.

“Let me have a few more minutes, woman,” Nick demanded and Annie grinned, sinking into the comfort and joy, her body relaxed and calm.

“We’re driving, right?” Annie asked Nick an hour or so later, after they had enjoyed another moment, redressed and were back outside, met with an immediate gust of wind.

“Your car or mine?” Nick asked. Annie grabbed her keys, and they got in her car.

“Is your phone back to normal?” Annie asked, her eyes looking between Nick and the road. Nick grabbed his phone, opening various apps to make sure everything was intact.

“I think so,” he said, waving it, but before he put it away, he opened up the phone’s camera. He gasped and stared at the picture on his screen.

“What?” Annie asked, trying to get a look. He moved the phone a little closer to her so she could see, and she let out her own sound of surprise, accidentally letting out a short beep from the car’s horn.

There they were in a beautiful selfie, the sky behind them something out of a literal dream. It had been their first day in the made-for-TV Christmas movie universe before they stopped bothering with their phones altogether because they were virtually useless.

“Stunning,” Nick marveled, and Annie agreed.

“Send that to me immediately,” Annie demanded, her focus back on the road. Main Street was gone, along with all the little shops on it. “It’s almost a little sad,” Annie sighed.

“Let’s go get you an iced coffee,” Nick offered, pointing to the closer of the Dunkin’ locations on the road (because, obviously, there were multiple options). Annie lit up, pulling into the parking lot, ready to skip inside. Before she made it, though, she ran straight into someone carrying a large wreath. Annie fell to the ground in a messy heap.

“Oops, sorry!” a voice called down to her.

“Chris?” Annie said, standing up.